Wake Placed on IR, Season Ends With Career-Low in Sacks

Titans signed veteran linebacker as a pass rush specialist but he has not had a sack since Week 1

Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today Sports

NASHVILLE – The plan all along was to limit Cameron Wake’s playing time. The idea was to help the 37-year-old get through his 11 NFL season.

It did not work.

Wake was one of two members of the defense placed on injured reserve Tuesday, which means his season is over with five games remaining. In nine appearances (he missed two games early with a groin injury) he made five tackles and registered two and a half sacks. Three of the tackles and all of the sacks came in the season-opener at Cleveland, when was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after having played just 23 of 71 defensive snaps. He logged 36 snaps Sunday against Jacksonville, more than twice the amount of action he saw two weeks earlier against the pass-happy Kansas City Chiefs.

Also placed on IR was cornerback Chris Milton, one of the Titans’ top special teams players. Milton missed time this season with an ankle injury but played the last two weeks. He is tied for fourth on the team with five special teams tackles.

Cornerback Kareem Orr and outside linebacker Derick Roberson were promoted from the practice squad to fill the openings on the active roster. Each has spent one week this season on the active roster (Orr was active but did not play against Tampa Bay and Roberson was inactive against the L.A. Chargers) and the rest of the time on the practice squad.

Defensive lineman Joey Ivie and cornerback Kenneth Durden were added to the practice squad.

Wake was one of Tennessee’s biggest free agent acquisitions this season. He signed a three-year, $23 million contract ($10 million guaranteed) after 10 seasons with Miami during which he registered 98 sacks. With his second sack against Cleveland he became the 33 player in NFL history with at least 100 in his career (he has 100 1/2).

His addition was meant to offset the retirements of Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan, at least in the pass rush. Coaches used Wake almost exclusively in obvious passing situations.

His 2 ½ sacks this season are a career low and this is just the second time he did not play at least 14 games. He played seven in 2015 but still managed seven sacks that season.

Before Miami, the Wake spent three seasons with the Canadian Football League.

The Titans (6-5) face the Indianapolis Colts (6-5) in a critical AFC South matchup Sunday in Indianapolis.